ComputationasaCo-conspiratorinResistingitsOwnHegemony

ZachKaiserMichiganStateUniversity

ComputationDesignLearningHumansubjectivityPhilosophy

Caveats/“Thingsyoushouldprobablyknow”

Caveats/“Thingsyoushouldprobablyknow”1. Computationaspartnerinculturalcriticism

Caveats/“Thingsyoushouldprobablyknow”1. Computationaspartnerinculturalcriticism2. I’man“oldschool”graphicdesignerbytraining/

trade

Caveats/“Thingsyoushouldprobablyknow”1. Computationaspartnerinculturalcriticism2. I’man“oldschool”graphicdesignerbytraining/

trade3. I’mmostinterestednotincomputationbutinour

relationshiptoit,socio-culturaltrajectories

Caveats/“Thingsyoushouldprobablyknow”1. Computationaspartnerinculturalcriticism2. I’man“oldschool”graphicdesignerbytraining/

trade3. I’mmostinterestednotincomputationbutinour

relationshiptoit,socio-culturaltrajectories4. Imightsoundlikea“skeptic”

Caveats/“Thingsyoushouldprobablyknow”1. Computationaspartnerinculturalcriticism2. I’man“oldschool”graphicdesignerbytraining/

trade3. I’mmostinterestednotincomputationbutinour

relationshiptoit,socio-culturaltrajectories4. Imightsoundlikea“skeptic”butthisisnota

polemicagainst“technology.”

ComputationasaCo-conspiratorinResistingitsOwnHegemony-  Usingcomputationtocritiqueitsprivileged

positioninculture

ComputationasaCo-conspiratorinResistingitsOwnHegemony-  Usingcomputationtocritiqueitsprivileged

positioninculture-  Computationinlearningexperiencedesign-  Symbolicsubversion

THECOMPUTABLESUBJECT

Ifitcan’tbecomputed,itisn’treal.Lefebvre’s“ideologyoftheendofideology”Computationaltechnologiesasneutralarbitersoftruth(freeofideology)

SeeLefebvre,H.(1981).CritiqueofEverydayLife,Vol.3.

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D : 9 T / E H *

“ S M A R T ”

Languageiscolonizedbypositivistteleologyandreifiesanideologythatprivilegesthatwhichiscomputable.

Privilegingthequantifiableoverallelse–andthebeliefthateverythingcanbequantified–isproblematic.

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THERISEOFTHENEOLIBERAL/MACHINE-READABLESTUDENT

F l u s s e r i a n A p p a r a t u s

> 0 + + * F ' & ' * 9 " . 0 * F ' & ' *

9 " . 0 * F ' & ' *

9 " . 0 * - " # $ % & ' & ( " ) *

! * *

Theinformationweproducebeginstocatertothewayinwhichitisparsed.

Together,thesocialefficiencyandsocialmobilitygoals“portrayeducationasamechanismforadaptingstudentstothemarket.”DavidLabaree,“PublicGoods,PrivateGoods.”(1997)

Butwheredoescriticalthinking,capacitiesforsynthesisandanalysis,orcompassionate,ethicalbehavior,fitin?

9 " . 0 * B ( G 0 * & 7 ( + * > 0 + + * B ( G 0 * & 7 ( + *

Butthisdoesnotalignwithcurrentstrategiestobecomemoremeasurable.

Whatkindofmeaningisgeneratedandforwhom(orwhat)isitlegible/readable?

SYMBOLICSUBVERSION

SYMBOLICSUBVERSION

W h i s p e r : s u b v e r t i n g a l g o r i t h m i c

i n f e r e n c e a n d r e c o m m e n d a t i o n

AnongoingprojectincollaborationwithGabiSchaffzin,UCSD

Systemsofinferenceandrecommendationlinkustootherswhohavebeendeterminedtobesimilartous.

Weacquirealgorithmicidentitiesthroughthepowerexertedonusthroughsystemsofinferenceandrecommendation.

SeeCheney-Lippold,J.(2011).“ANewAlgorithmicIdentity:SoftBiopoliticsandtheModulationofControl.”Theory,Culture,andSociety.

D]'-0?""G*G)"3+*#0*+"*30BB`H*

Systemsofalgorithmicinferenceandrecommendationareeverywhere.

Soon,everydecisionmadewillhavebeen“recommended.”

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Systemsofinferenceandrecommendation“configurelifebytailoringitsconditionsofpossibility.”

SeeCheney-Lippold,J.(2011).“ANewAlgorithmicIdentity:SoftBiopoliticsandtheModulationofControl.”Theory,Culture,andSociety.

B u t t o n p r e s s

V o i c e i n p u t G o o g l e V o i c e A P I

T h e s a u r u s A P I

A m a z o n q u e r y

P r o d u c t r e c o m m e n d a t i o n + r e c e i p t p r i n t o u t

Languageandtheprivilegingofthecomputational

P r i v a t i z a t i o n a n d a u t o m a t i o n e n h a n c e c o n v e n i e n c e b u t o b s c u r e t h e

f u n c t i o n i n g o f m u n i c i p a l s e r v i c e s .

L a n g u a g e a n d c o m p u t a t i o n a r e s o h o t r i g h t n o w !

W h o w r i t e s “ t r u i s m s ” a b o u t o u r f u t u r e ? W h o c o n t r o l s

t h e f u t u r o l o g i c a l d i s c o u r s e s ?

Alienation,bureaucratictechnologies,YouTube,andKafka

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Theanxietystemmingfromtheseeminglyprecariousnatureofeverydaylifeisadefiningfeatureofourage.

SeePlanC.(2014).“Weareallveryanxious.”

Kafkaandtheover-relianceontechnologiesasarbitersoftruth

SeeSalerno,R.(2003)LandscapesofAbandonment.SUNYPress.

Kafkaandtheover-relianceontechnologiesasarbitersoftruth

“InthePenalColony,”writtenin1914

“InthePenalColony,”writtenin1914

FaithintheHarrowandthejusticeoftheOperatormirrorscontemporaryfaithincomputationalapparatuses.

Howdowegrapplewithtoday’ssenseofprecarityandtheresultingfeelingsofanxiety?

K a f k a t e x t S p l i t b y p u n c t u a t i o n

Y o u T u b e q u e r y

T h u m b n a i l i m a g e s o f 1 s t r e s u l t f o r e a c h q u e r y

A d d e d t o I n D e s i g n d o c u m e n t i n o r d e r

C o m p o s e u n i q u e p a g e s p r e a d s

SOMECONCLUDINGTHOUGHTS

Theuseofcomputationdoesnotnecessitatecomputationalismnorisitinherentlyconnectedtothecomputablesubject,inwhichthecorporealselfpresents“limits”tobeovercomeinaquestforefficiencyandproductivity.

SeeTierny,T.(1993)TheValueofConvenience:AGenealogyofTechnicalCulture.SUNYPress.

[T]henegativemomentcreatessomethingnew…itsummonsanddevelopsitsseedsbydissolvingwhatexists.—HenriLefebvre,CritiqueofEverydayLife,Vol.3(1981)

C R I T I Q U E

N e e d t o w o r k m o r e w i t h i n t h e e v e r y d a y

J u s t g e t t i n g s t a r t e d …

T h a n k y o u .